EXHIBITION MATCH

TO SHOWCASE A TRAINER'S RESOLVE

RUNNING THE GAUNTLET IS SEAMLESS. Every battle is another notch on his belt regardless of the outcome. At a certain point it becomes more about grinding through them more than anything else. A person of Fernando’s stature is meant to make appearances. He undertakes the mantle of punching bag all so he can discern the skill level of his opponents.

“Well met.”

He looks confident despite the Pokemon that rests in his ball. An early morning of battles have exhausted his wares and what’s left is the rut of the litter.

“Are you ready, trainer?”

An underhanded lob of his Pokeball reveals the Poipole he’s kept on him. Unlike the Naganadel from the war, these much younger larvae form prove far from impressive.

Adrian Malcolm

Adrian dips his head in acknowledgement of their greeting, but is slow to respond.

Silph? It would be hard not to recognize the figurehead of the corporate empire heading the latest progress into pokemon products. "Likewise."

"I am." A red-on-white orb swells in his hand before an underhand toss lands it in the center of their arena. The silhouette of a canid emerges from the burst of light; an Arcanine bellicose by nature digs clawed pads into the field for INTIMIDATION.

Beyond it a Poipole occupies the arena, prompting Adrian to knit his brows.

Can't say I was expecting to see one of those. "Arcanine, setup."

Brimming with its own incandescence, Arcanine is alight with the power of Sol, pervading the arena with an unnatural radiance, enacting the move SUNNY DAY.

FERNANDO SILPH

EXHIBITION MATCH

TO SHOWCASE A TRAINER'S RESOLVE

“BATTLE ROUTINE SET!”

Fernando calls upon the Poipole to interrupt Adrian’s setup. They can’t prevent it but that doesn’t mean the move goes unpunished. Every action takes time and choices made means consequences no matter how fruitful.

“Execute!”

With the distance of their starting positions buffering any immediate follow up from the SUNNY DAY, the Poipole ejects several spurts of TOXIC sludge at the Arcanine.

Adrian Malcolm

Drenched in otherworldly secretions, Arcanine becomes badly poisoned.

Hmm, that's pretty bad. This is why he'd always paired Rover with Howitzer in the past. Alone Arcanine could do nothing but forestall the eventual decline of its wellbeing, rejuvenating itself beneath the glow of starlight. But that wouldn't work very long.

"Turn it up a notch." HEAT WAVE; As if he wanted it any hotter than it already was.

Expelling from its body an unnatural heat, the fiery nature of its living force radiated outwardly, incrementally raising the temperature. Standing on the edge of the ring was akin to staring into a wildfire, while proximity to the Arcanine would leave those susceptible with blistering skin and sores. Let's see where that gets us...

FERNANDO SILPH

EXHIBITION MATCH

TO SHOWCASE A TRAINER'S RESOLVE

AN UNBRIDLED HEAT WAVE WASHES OVER THE POIPOLE. Heat seeps into its purple scales. Underneath, cells are damaged by the intensity, cooked in all the wrong ways. On the outside, black BURN marks soil over some minor blisters.

The Pokemon’s response is a more approximate gauge of damage than its outward appearance. It cries out in pain, neon eyes gone wide as it sobs to itself, floating an eccentric circle.

But it continues the hunt just as it would in the wild. TOXIC will take time to work. As long as it can hold on, the battle will be in its favor. After POISONING its prey, it washes it with a spray of VENOM DRENCH, looking to weaken the Pokemon before it can go in for the kill.

Adrian Malcolm

Arcanine had managed the feat of burning the Poipole, but even as Adrian reveled in his good fortune his pokemon became drenched in venom, its strength and vigor sapped by the putrid concoction. It's always something...

With his pokemon succumbing to the progressive nature of this poison, Adrian was forced to weigh his options: Take this round to recover, or squeeze in some more damage at his own peril. He took a page out of Silph's playbook in the end.

In many ways deterrence was the ultimate art of war: As Adrian ordered the attack, Arcanine's lips began to peel back from its canines, exposing its teeth while SNARLING in an unsettling, visceral display of hostile ferocity. The effects of stress on the body would be mental and physical as the threatening stimuli reached Poipole.

FERNANDO SILPH

EXHIBITION MATCH

TO SHOWCASE A TRAINER'S RESOLVE

THE GUTTURAL SOUNDS OF ARCANINE’S SNARL DISSUADES POIPOLE FROM APPROACHING. Fear manifests but the Ultra Beast continues to attack. Instinct demands it follows up with the last step after disarming its opponent.

After weakening a poisoned foe, the only other step is to beat it into submission. The VENOSHOCK it fires proves more potent if the opponent is already POISONED. A weakened nervous system means the body has less to fight back with.

Adrian Malcolm

With a shrill whine Arcanine collapses to the ground as its body began to fail, at risk of going into shock as its entire biology now coursed with the potent venom harnessed by the Poipole. These buggers always were troublesome. Adrian wondered whether he should've brought some antidotes, but it would've just prolonged the engagement for another turn without any meaningful change. Speaking of non-solutions...

MORNING SUN. In its radiance sunlight intensified, instilling a pleasant warmth in Arcanine, allowing it to recuperate and gain its second wind.

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FERNANDO SILPH

EXHIBITION MATCH

TO SHOWCASE A TRAINER'S RESOLVE

THE OPPONENT’S CRY DISARMS THE POIPOLE. Fernando knows better but the Poipole is still unfamiliar with the Pokemon of this world. It understands the Arcanine’s body language as a sign of defeat; one last cry before succumbing to its wounds.

The MORNING SUN is obvious but the Poipole doesn’t put one and one together. Such techniques are foreign, leading to its eventual defeat. Fernando sees this happen ahead of time but does nothing to dissuade the Poipole from approaching. To warn it will win him the match but doing so will hinder its growth.

Punishment from a mistake always etches a lesson deep into the soul.

So the Poipole near with its FELL STINGER raised, presuming it’ll be able to put the finishing touch on its POISONED opponent.

Adrian Malcolm

Poipole getting closer gave Adrian a shiver, just to see its stinger poised to skewer.

"Meet it head on!" Though it remained haggard and disheveled, it brought itself to its legs, grunting away the pangs of anguish yet coursing through it. Heavy paws pushed it forward in lithe bounds, gouging the earth as it rushed forward before arcs of electricity crackle along its body with the building velocity of WILD CHARGE.

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FERNANDO SILPH

EXHIBITION MATCH

TO SHOWCASE A TRAINER'S RESOLVE

THE ARCANINE RESPONDS WITH STRENGTH IT SHOULDN’T HAVE. At least that’s the perspective of the Poiple when its opponent clambers back onto its feet. The sudden rush afterwards catches it by surprise.

The WILD CHARGE proves effective. Considering the opponent’s much larger mass, the Poipole is knock away from the ramming nature of the attack. Electric current course through its body, stinging the already existing BURN marks even more.

Adrian Malcolm

"Now trample 'em!" Knocked forward from the brunt of its previous attack, Arcanine would BULLDOZE forward albeit clumsily as the toxins hampered its fine motor functions. In a flash of black-on-orange zigzags its body lurches forward, hoping to put the Poipole underfoot before driving it into the ground. Assuming Arcanine managed.

All Adrian could see was the dust cloud Arcanine kicked up during its riotous stamping, kicking up the loose silica and scattering it where its legs dug in and pivoted.

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FERNANDO SILPH

EXHIBITION MATCH

TO SHOWCASE A TRAINER'S RESOLVE

THE WAY THE CANINE PREYS UPON THE INSECT IS MORE AKIN TO A FELINE THAN ANYTHING ELSE. The way it BULLDOZES forward allows it to pounce on the Poipole, grounding it. Heavy paws keep the Pokemon handled while both trainers remain in the dark, the end result obstructed by the kicked up dust.

When it settles, Fernando sees the battle come to a conclusion well before his Pokemon faints. Watching it cry out in pain, unable to break free, is all he needs to see. A red beam returns the Pokemon, therefore submitting the victory to Adrian.

“Good show. That’s a strong Arcanine,” Fernando compliment mindlessly, unaware of the significance the Pokemon has.

Adrian Malcolm